High Times Summer Festival Guide 2017

It’s almost summer, and festival season is upon us! Break out the cooler, throw your tent and CamelBak in the car, dig out the koozies and pack your dugout—or vape pen, or edibles, or dabs… We’re goin’ festivaling! High Times has scoured the festival circuit to present you with our Top 20 fests (of course, we had to include a couple of our very own).

Along with spreading cannabis legalization, the festival industry seems to grow every year. Hmmm… perhaps there’s a connection. A love of weed definitely goes hand-in-hand with a love of experiencing live music, especially when it’s performed outdoors for a crowd of like-minded folks grooving along. The entire jam band circuit is populated with happy tokers—but if Phish isn’t your thing, there’s a sea of other options. The neo-psychedelia of the Burning Man festival has given rise to many trippy electronic dance fests. Reggae, rock, hip-hop, soulful singer-songwriters… whatever it is you crave, there’s a festival designed just for you. And now more than ever, festivals incorporate “experiences” alongside the musical lineup—yoga, surf lessons, water parks, spas, medical marijuana lounges—truly, there has never been a better time to enjoy being grown up.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love (there’s a festival celebrating just that!), the time is ripe to tune in, turn on and drop out. Find your dream event below—and be sure to enter for your chance to win passes to a bunch of the fests (be sure you put the name of the fest you’re entering for in the subject line). We’ll see you out there—under the stars, on grassy lawns, in forests, and at the Cups!

California Roots is a celebration of unity in the reggae community, delivering a cosmic blend of good vibes, happiness, family, peace and love. Back for the eighth year in a row at the site of the legendary 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Cali Roots features tons of top-notch musical acts, including Nas, Rebelution, Thievery Corporation, Dirty Heads, Soja, Jah9, John Brown’s Body, Collie Buddz and Matisyahu. Positive vibes and good times will be had by all! Tickets range from $125-$325.

Boston Calling Music Festival is a three-day festival celebrating Memorial Day weekend and kicking off summer 2017. Tool, Chance the Rapper, Major Lazer, Weezer, Run the Jewels, Deerhoof and Buffalo Tom are just a few of the gems in a very starry lineup. Tickets start at $99 for single-day general admission, and $269 for three-day general admission. Single-day VIP tickets are $199 and 3-day platinum tickets are $999.

Summer Camp is a three-day camping (tent or RV) festival with over 100 artists and seven stages. You can groove all day and then sleep under the stars! Headliners this year include .moe, Primus, Umphrey’s McGee, Gov’t Mule, Run the Jewels, The Disco Biscuits, Gramatik, and Mike Gordon. Summer Camp is about three hours’ drive from Chicago or St. Louis, and about four hours’ drive from Indianapolis. Three-day general admission tickets cost $239.50, and VIP upgrades start at $225 more.

This fest has one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world—The Gorge in eastern Washington. LCD Soundsystem, Chance the Rapper, Mac Miller, Phantogram and other heavy hitters join a lineup of indie and pop up-and-comers. Plus you’ll be at The Gorge, which basically guarantees you’ll have an incredible time. Don’t forget to stop at a recreational pot shop on your way! Single-day tickets start at $99.50.

Mountain Music Festival has a wild and wonderful venue with a mountaintop campground. You can tackle whitewater rafting, breeze through the trees on a zip line and splash around in the water park while taking in musical acts like Umphrey’s McGee, The Revivalists, Twiddle, The Southern Belles, YumYum Beast, The Kind Thieves, Groove Fetish and many more. Single-day tickets start at $85, and two- and three-day festival passes are available.

One of the best best in big-city festivals, Governors Ball draws top-tier talent for a three-day extravaganza. Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Tool, Phoenix, Cage the Elephant, Wiz Khalifa, Phantogram, Schoolboy Q, A$AP Ferg—the list of amazing artists goes on and on. Pack sunscreen and a hat along with your vaporizer—you won’t want to miss a minute of the excitement. One-day passes start at $105, and three-day passes are available as well as VIP and VIP Plus passes, with shuttle and ferry ticket add-ons.

NorCal Cannabis Cup
June 3-4, 2017
Santa Rosa, CA

Taking place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, High Times is celebrating California’s recent legalization of recreational cannabis. Come check out a live cannabis experience featuring a cannabis career fair, edibles village, topical massage spa, rosin presses and so much more! Musical acts include 311, The Wailers, Fortunate Youth, and Sublime with Rome. Single-day, weekend, VIP and Super VIP passes available.

Northside is NYC’s answer to SXSW. This “discovery” festival takes over just about every venue, concert space and screening room in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Rising musical acts like She-Devils join all-time favorites like Dirty Projectors, Miguel, Kamasi Washington and hundreds more. An Innovation expo showcases three days of keynote talks, interviews, panels, workshops, pitch competitions, VR playground, and evening parties, bringing together cutting-edge geeks and gurus to talk shop and show off their creations. Music badges are $75. Innovation badges are $499. Single-show tickets are also available for music.

Taking place in June rather than August for the first time this year, the Enchanted Forest Gathering is sort of a “happening.” Inspired and influenced by the neo-psychedelic culture of Burning Man, this is an opportunity to meet kind-hearted kin looking for participatory experiences where attendees co-create the performances, art installations and theme camps within a fairytale setting of majestic oak trees. The 2017 gathering will showcase over 70 internationally acclaimed live and electronic musical acts on four stages. Tickets start at $235 with add-ons for camping, parking and early arrival. “Ease and Grace” VIP packages are also available.

Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band, Father John Misty, Regina Spektor, Jack Johnson and Norah Jones are just a few of the headliners at this 50th anniversary of the Monterey International Pop Festival, which jumpstarted the rich music-driven culture of the ‘60s and 70s. This fest celebrates Monterey Pop’s importance, legacy and lasting impact on contemporary culture with an amazing music lineup, unique experiential activations, historic memorabilia and art installations. Three-day general admission passes are $295, three-day reserved bleacher seats are $450 and three-day VIP passes are $695.

Midwest Cannabis Cup
June 24-25, 2017
Clio, Michigan

One of the most fun Cannabis Cups! The Midwest Cup takes place in Clio, MI at a real-deal speedway, which gives this event authentic automotive flair. Top Michigan growers and cannabusinesses showcase their wares, medical marijuana cardholders can freely consume cannabis onsite, fun weed experiences like the Top Cannabis Chef Cook-Off abound, and the musical lineup can’t be beat: Fifty Cent and the Wu-Tang Clan. Single-day, weekend, VIP and Super VIP passes available.

Genius Loci Fest is an off-the grid adventure not far from Southern California. Set on the gorgeous coast of Baja Mexico, this camping festival features yoga, environmental workshops, and surf lessons, along with amazing music programming. Event organizers are actively working on conservation easements to purchase the land and preserve it from future developments, which makes this a great choice for the eco-conscious festivalgoer. Passes start at $190, with RV and glamping add-ons available.

Now in its 27th year, High Sierra is nestled in a picturesque mountain town just a short jaunt away from Yosemite National Park, making it a great addition to a nature-lover’s vacation. Featuring a massive array of jam bands, blues, rock and funk, High Sierra combines great music with chill camping and a family-friendly atmosphere for grown-up festival lovers. Check out Ween, the Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule, Galactic, Mike Gordon and a host of others at this year’s fest. Single-day passes start at $95.50 (Thursday is $85.50), and four-day passes start at $275.75. Vehicle passes can be added on for $165.50.

This is the fifth year for NorthernNights, a festival set in a gorgeous part of California’s famed Emerald Triangle. The three-day camping experience is surrounded by redwood giants in Humboldt County, next to the Eel River. NorthernNights offers music, art, camping, yoga and a medical marijuana lounge alongside electronica of all types including Cherub, Big Wild, G Jones, the long awaited reunion of hip-hop supergroup Living Legends and many more. The MMJ-compliant 215 Tree Lounge offers the best cannabis products from Northern California. This fest sells out quickly, so get your tickets soon. $229 for general admission for a three-day weekend, with VIP options available at $329. There’s also a NorthernNights/Enchanted Forest Combo ticket for $420.

Panorama returns to New York City’s Randall’s Island Park for its second installment this summer, featuring performances from Nine Inch Nails, Frank Ocean, Tame Impala, A Tribe Called Quest, alt-J, Solange, Justice, Nick Murphy, MGMT and more. The critically-acclaimed festival sits at the intersection of New York’s unique creative community, bringing together music, immersive art and innovative technology as never before. Single day passes start at $99, and three-day passes start at $282. VIP passes are also available.

The Beloved Festival features sacred music, art and yoga against a beautiful northwest backdrop. Bass music and global sounds, rustic surroundings and cutting-edge sound, lighting and visual technology intertwine to create a glimpse of the divine. Socially conscious attendees will also appreciate how the festival pauses performances at key times during the festivities to hold community conversations. Full weekend event passes start at $261.

The Peach Music Festival is inspired and curated by the Allman Brothers Band. Festival goers will be delighted by the location—Montage Mountain Ski Resort is transformed into a water park in the summer, so you can ride water slides while listening to groovy tunes. The 4-day event features Widespread Panic, My Morning Jacket, Lettuce (feat. Chaka Khan), Mike Gordon, Umphrey’s McGee and Rusted Root—just to name a few legendary performers lined up! Concert admission and camping passes are sold separately. 4-day general admission tickets start at $135, 4-day GA with camping is $175. VIP tickets start at $500.

LOCKN’ Festival is a four-day celebration at the end of what has hopefully been the best summer ever. The fest is about four hours’ drive from Washington, DC or Charlotte, NC and about 5 hours’ drive from Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, PA. Lockn’ will feature performances from String Cheese Incident, Brandi Carlisle, Widespread Panic, John Fogerty, the Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band, and more. Four-day general admission passes start at $279, with camping and parking add-ons available.

Electric Zoo brings hordes of electronic dance music fans to New York’s “sixth borough,” Randalls Island. The festival is a don’t-miss attraction on the EDM circuit, pulling in top talent as well as hot new acts and underground artists. This year’s headliners include deadmau5, Armin van Buuren, and DJ Snake, with more acts being announced all the time. Show off your animal/festival style at the Electric Zoo. General admission passes start at $239. VIP passes start at $439.

Now in its 46th year, Bumbershoot is one of North America’s largest international music and arts festivals. It takes place every Labor Day weekend at the massive Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. Bumbershoot is a vital annual tradition in the Emerald City, featuring music, art, theater, film, comedy, and dance. With scores of bands over three days at multiple venues, this festival has something for everyone. The diverse line-up this year includes Flume, Lorde, Weezer, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Spoon, Solange, Flo Rida, Lil Yachty, and much, much more. A trip to Bumbershoot is the perfect way to end your summer of fun! Three-day passes range from $249 for general admission to $450 and beyond for various VIP packages.

Cannabis Cup New England
September 9-10, 2017
Rhode Island

Our first-ever Cannabis Cup in New England’s beautiful Rhode Island will draw the summer to a close. Join us as we celebrate legal marijuana in a gorgeous outdoor setting, with hundreds of vendors showcasing their wares and a sure-to-be amazing musical lineup. Details to come soon—check back for more info. We hope to spark one up with you there!